New Carry On Restrictions from American Airlines from CDG (Paris)?
 

In checking something else this morning on AA.com, I noticed since last Friday they have posted new restrictions on carryons from CDG (Paris). (Their update is as of 11:30 CDT time today.) From CGD it says only one small clear plastic bag (but no more specific size or weight restrictions), no prohibied items (such as liquids) but you could have electronic devices in including a lap top. I couldn't find anything on what I think is the official CDG website except that carryon baggage was limited to 5 kg and 115 centimeters total dimension but I wanted to pass on what I read on AA.com. Any more official word available?

I don't think CDG actually makes the rules, but I've seen the press releases and communiques from the French transport ministry (and the director of civilian aviation, DGAC).

They haven't updated their notices on new security at airports since 8/11/06. In that communique, they said for flights going to the US, UK and Israel, the airline had to do 100 pct examination of carryon baggage just before embarkment. They said, as usual, there has always been 100 pct of passengers must go through the metal detectors at security and 100 pct of cabin baggage must go under those Xray (tomograph) machines and that a manual search of cabin baggage could be done of selected passengers (the 100 pct was for the 3 countries only).

They said that for those three countries, you can't carry on any form of liquid or gel substance (eg, drinks, shampoo, lotions, creams, toothpaste, hair gel,etc.)--exceptions for essential medicine or nutrition...

It also advised passengers to be considerate and to try to solely take what is strictly necessary in carryon baggage to help reduce the time for security checks, and to strictly limit yourself to one piece of carryon baggage per person.

It doesn't say anything about one small plastic bag or the other things that AA does. It doesn't say anything specific about electronic devices.

American Airlines can enact stricter regulations on their outbound originating flights than either the TSA or the French Transport Ministry enact-the rules that have been elaborated here as to the 3 countries apply only to the FRENCH SCREENING CHECKPOINTS-in other words, you can pass through the checkpoints following the bans instituted for the 3 countries in question. However, once you pass through the screening checkpoint, an American carrier can, if it chooses, enact stricter policy as to what may be carried on the flight itself-as that is controlled by the air carrier.

So the French have certain restrictions in effect for the screening checkpoints, and American may well be introducing further restrictions for their outbound flights to the US.

We're going to Paris in a couple of weeks on AA, and I noticed that yesterday on AA's website also.

Your description of what it says is a bit off, however. It does not say carry on is limited to one small plastic bag. It says to reduce delays, AA encourages passengers to take as little hand luggage as possible (one piece). Items must be in small clear plastic bags. Thus, it is not the carry on that has to be a small plastic bag, but loose items in the carry on must be, rather than in some other type of container that will require personnel to open everything to see what's in there. Your usual carry-on should be fine, just put loose items either loose or in plastic bags so they can see without unwrapping everything.

That paragraph on AA's website is poorly written, but I think almesq's interpretation of it is correct.

Appreciate the comments. A bonanza for the zip lock baggie manufacturers!

FWIW my boss just flew back on Air France from CDG yesterday (to Wash DC). He said they were now doing THREE security checks of every passenger. Given it was just yesterday, he was fuzzy on the details and said he couldn'r remember what the second one consisted of (I said okay, the first one was the usual with the metal dectectors before the gate area, right, where they do passport control -- so where was the second one, at the gate? and did they have any type of Xray machine?). So, he couldn't remember but I guess it must have been somewhere around the gate.

The third one he remembered well, he said every passenger was checked again in that tunnel ramp thing where you go onto the plane, and every passenger was hand-patted down, also. NOw I'm sure they have different rules for flights to the US than others, and probably even extra-special screening for flights to Washington, you never now. I know they did a couple years ago, as I flew one then, and they were hand checking everyone's baggage on the plane if the flight was to Washington DC.

I flew out of CDG 2A yesterday on CO. CO's check-in desks are closed to AA, so we all lined up through the regular security together. While waiting in line, I overheard some AA passengers talking about this whole thing. AA do want their passengers to put loose items in clear plastic bags in their carry-ons.

The reason isn't the regular security line, but the secondary screening on the jetway. On my CO flight, after you get on the jetway, you get a pad down (one line for male, one for female), and we were asked further questions about carryons. Then the bags are re-checked by the next agent. It's a slow process. On my flight that was only 2/3 full, it took 35 minutes to board. I believe AA's policy is to make it a little faster. [CO has no such clear plastic bag requirement.]

I have always packed things into zip-lock baggies in my carryon. I use several sizes depending on the items. It just makes it so much easier when security has to go through your bag. They just remove the baggie examine it then I can just throw them back into the carryon without too much hassle.

I guess that's why security checks have never bothered me much.